White Sugar Now Coming From Genetically-Modified Sugar Beets

One of the things that I try very hard to buy is non-genetically modified foods. A lot of foods are being altered for a variety of reasons, none of which has anything to do with being healthier for consumers. Big chemical companies push the "benefits" of plants that are resistant (read poisonous) to bugs and weeds. Sounds great for the farmers - less work tending their crops - but who knows what the long term health consequences may be. And now they go after sugar...

This year saw the first commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets in the United States, with that sugar to hit the food supply soon after. Farmers across the country will soon be planting Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beet, genetically engineered for resistance to Monsanto's herbicide glyphosate (marketed as Roundup). John Schorr, agriculture manager for Amalgamated Sugar, estimates that 95 percent of the sugar beet crop in Idaho will be of the new GM variety in 2008, or a total of 150,000 out of 167,000 acres. Finish the article here >

A little exercise goes a long way for severely obese

I found an interesting article on exercise - every little bit helps. Even if you're not used to doing any exercise, there's no time like the present to get started!

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When it comes to exercise and physical activity, people who are severely obese often feel defeated and think -- why bother. But a new study shows why they should bother, according to the study team.

Even a little bit of exercise - as little as 1 hour a week - can boost their quality of life and ability to complete everyday tasks like getting dressed, tying shoes and simply moving around, the study found. "This study speaks to the importance of people who are overweight, even severely overweight, paying attention to the fact that increasing their activity even a little bit can make their day to day life better," Dr. Martin Binks told Reuters Health. Read the rest of the article >